Clayface, WE REALLY WANTED THIS?

 

Did anyone have an R-rated, melting-face Clayface movie on their DC Universe bingo card? Because James Gunn just dropped a trailer that completely changes the superhero game forever.

If you are suffering from superhero fatigue, or if you thought comic book movies were getting a little too safe, a little too predictable, you need to wake up right now. We are getting a full-blown, terrifying monster movie. But what exactly is going on in the grimy, rain-soaked streets of Gotham? Where is Batman hiding while all this is happening? And how does this connect to the Joker?

Today, we are breaking down the brand-new Clayface trailer frame-by-frame. We’re going to uncover some crazy hidden Easter eggs you definitely missed, we're going to talk about the horror legends working behind the scenes, and I’m going to show you exactly how this dark origin story secretly sets up the entire future of the new DC Universe. You're going to want to hear about the massive timeline twist at the end, because it changes everything we thought we knew. Let's get into it.

Okay, first things first, let’s clear up the multiverse confusion, because keeping track of Batman these days is basically a full-time job.

This movie is the very first Batman-related film happening inside James Gunn and Peter Safran's brand new DC Universe. Let me repeat that: This is not Robert Pattinson’s Batman. This is not a leftover from the old Snyderverse. DC is giving the legendary mud monster his very own, gritty, standalone origin story. Think of it like the 2019 Joker movie, but with way more body horror and physical mutation.

There is a huge reason this trailer feels so uniquely terrifying, and it comes down to the guys behind the camera. The script was written by absolute horror genius Mike Flanagan. If you’ve seen The Haunting of Hill House, you know this guy doesn't just do cheap jump scares; he makes horror that makes you cry. He makes it emotional.

And it’s directed by James Watkins, who makes some seriously scary, messed-up movies like Speak No Evil. They aren't treating this like a superhero flick where the good guy punches the bad guy through a building. They are pulling inspiration from classic, terrifying monster movies from the 80s. This is about a guy losing his humanity, literally and figuratively.

So, who is our monster? Meet Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries. In the comics, Hagen is the second guy to call himself Clayface. In this movie, he starts out as an incredibly arrogant, super-vain, but very successful Hollywood actor.

He’s the kind of guy who checks his reflection in a spoon. He has the perfect life, the perfect face, millions of adoring fans, and the perfect career.

But, spoiler alert: his skincare routine is about to get a major downgrade.

Hagen’s glamorous life gets completely wrecked by a targeted mob hit that leaves his famous, million-dollar face totally disfigured. His career is over in a matter of seconds. Now, a lot of fans online immediately thought the mob boss behind this hit was Black Mask or Carmine Falcone—the usual Gotham suspects.

But if you look closely at the background clues on the newspapers, it’s actually a super old-school Batman villain named Jimmy McCoy. Jimmy first showed up in the comics way back in 1940!

Using a forgotten gangster from 1940 is such a classic James Gunn move. He was probably digging through a dusty box of comics in his basement looking for this guy. But seriously, it makes you wonder what Hagen was doing. Did he have massive gambling debts? Was he messing with the mob's business? Note to self: if you are a famous actor, do not borrow money from Gotham City mobsters. Just go to a regular bank, guys. It’s not worth it.

Desperate to get his handsome face back and save his movie star career, Hagen goes off the grid. He turns to some highly illegal underground science. We see Naomi Ackie’s character—who looks like she is operating out of a condemned building—inject a crazy, glowing pink juice directly into his scars.

And the crazy part is... at first, it works!

We get a heartbreaking scene where Hagen looks in a dirty mirror at an abandoned Amusement Mile, and he's handsome again. He looks so relieved. He thinks he got his life back.

But come on, this is Gotham City. We don't get happy endings here.

The joy lasts for about two seconds before his face literally starts melting off in a dark alley. The panic in his eyes as he tries to hide from the public is just top-tier acting. It’s genuinely hard to watch. If you grew up in the 90s, it feels exactly like that heartbreaking episode from the Batman cartoon, Feats of Clay. You actually feel bad for him, even though he was a jerk before.

And because this is an R-rated movie, they are not holding back on the violence once he loses his mind. We see Hagen accidentally wiping away his own facial features in a bathtub—which is gross, but awesome—and we see him turn his arm into a massive, heavy spiked mace to completely crush a guy.

What I love about this is that it isn't just silly, floaty CGI. When he swings that clay arm, it looks heavy. It looks painful. It looks like he’s dragging a boulder around. This is a very dangerous, unstable monster.

Alright, now for the juicy stuff. Grab your magnifying glasses. Even though Batman doesn't seem to be in this trailer, Gotham City is packed with secrets. The world-building here is insane. Here are the biggest hidden Easter eggs that completely map out the new DC Universe.

umber one: Club Vesuvius. We see a quick, neon sign for this nightclub glowing in the rain. Comic fans know this is exactly where the magical superhero Zatanna performs her shows! For those who don't know, Zatanna is a legit magic user who casts spells by speaking backward. This is a massive tease that real magic is already hiding in Gotham.

Number two: A big billboard sign for Roman Sionis. This tells us the skull-faced mob boss, Black Mask, is already out there building his criminal empire. If Jimmy McCoy is running the old mob, Black Mask is probably the new blood trying to take over.

Number three: Wayne Terminus and Roger Elliot. A subway map in the background shows transit lines named after Bruce Wayne's family and the father of the famous villain, Hush. Hush is a villain who surgically changes his face to look like Bruce Wayne. In a movie about a guy losing his face, a Hush tease is totally perfect.

Number four: DC brand placements. Did you catch the ads for Soder Cola, Zesty Cola, and Big Belly Burger in the background of the street shots? These are the exact same fictional brands that are going to be in the new Superman movie. Because even melting mud monsters need a fast-food burger, right?

But the absolute biggest Easter egg of all is right here at Amusement Mile. If you look at the decaying walls behind Hagen, there is faded Joker-themed graffiti that says, "How about a magic trick?"

Think about the implications of that. That confirms the Joker is already alive, active, and terrorizing people in this universe. He might not physically show up to fight Clayface, but his presence is definitely felt. He's out there.

Which brings us to the biggest question: when exactly does this movie happen? James Gunn just confirmed something huge that blew my mind. Chronologically, Clayface is the very first movie in the new DC Universe timeline.

This happens before the new Superman movie.

This explains so much! Superman isn't flying around to inspire people yet. There is no Justice League to call for help. Batman is probably just starting his career, basically acting like a spooky urban myth that criminals whisper about in the dark. Gotham City is completely unprotected from a monster like Clayface.

But wait, I know what the hardcore fans are screaming at their screens right now. What about the animated show Creature Commandos? Clayface is in that show, and from the trailers, it looked like he might have died! Did James Gunn just kill him before he even gets to officially fight Batman on the big screen?

Listen to me: he is made of mud. You cannot kill a shape-shifter that easily. They can split apart, they can shrink, they can hide in the drainpipes. I guarantee you Hagen survives this movie. He will probably fake his own death by leaving a puddle of clay behind for the cops to find, and he will end up right on Batman's radar by the time the credits roll.

James Gunn and Peter Safran are holding absolutely nothing back. They are showing us that superhero movies can be scary, tragic, and totally different from the cookie-cutter formula we are used to. They are building a universe where a horror movie can sit right next to a bright, hopeful Superman movie, and I am here for it.

But I want to hear from you guys! What was your absolute favorite detail from this chilling new trailer? Do you think the R-rating is a good idea for DC going forward? And did you spot any other Easter eggs I missed in the background? Let me know down in the comments.

With Brainiac showing up in the new Superman movie, and Supergirl getting her own gritty sci-fi movie soon, things are about to get totally wild.